Cruise through the
picturesque klongs (canals) that run off the Chao Phraya
River and see a tranquil side to Bangkok. A long tailed
motorboat takes you by waterside temples and traditional
wooden stilted houses through an area where boat rather
than car is the favoured form of transportation. Kids
swim and wave whilst women wash and the occassional water
lizard scuttles by. Stop at a small floating market
before returning to the Chao Phraya and pass by the Royal
Barges and Grand Palace. Finally visit the Khmer style
Wat Arun - the Temple of Dawn - studded with thousands of
mosaics of glimmering Chinese porcelain. Its central
column stands an imposing 282 feet high and a panoramic
vista of the river can be had by those with the energy to
climb it.
Bangkoks landmark monument- the traditional home of
the Kings of Siam - also contains the most sacred temple
in Thailand - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The
palace dates from 1782 and can best be described as a
walled city covering an area of over a square mile. It
contains a number of buildings that are considered to be
amongst the finest examples of Thai architecture and a
range of stunning artifacts, notably the gorgeous gold
throne in the Amarin Vinichai Hall. The temple dates from
1785 and is recognised as being the most ornate in the
kingdom. It constitutes a collection of chapels, halls
and pavilions famed for its bronze and gold murals,
images and statues, and renowned for its overall quality
of workmanship.Carved from a single piece of jade and
thirty one inches high, the Emerald Buddha sits on a
magnificent altar in the central chapel. It is perhaps
the the most revered image in Thailand.
Possibly Thailands most
photogenic site. Travel by car through rice paddies some
65 miles to the maze of klongs at Damnoen Saduak. Here a
small boat sails you through the colourful chaos of
Thailands largest floating market, giving you the chance
to haggle with the many vendors and experience an
authentic slice of everyday canal life. En route stop at
a coconut farm to see trained monkeys at work, and visit
the Royal Handicraft Center with its displays of
traditonal crafts and arts such as silk weaving and
celadon pottery. Relax for lunch at the Crocodile Farm
where there's an option to see the crocodile wrestling,
feeding acts.
After sailing through the
floating market (see above) visit the beautifully
landscaped Rose Garden complex. The main attraction is
not the rosebushes - dug up some time ago - but a
replication of a Thai village which stages a vibrant
cultural show displaying varied Thai lifestyles. Enjoy a
range of performances from hilltribe dancing to Thai
boxing, from traditional wedding ceremonies to a
colourful Buddhist ordination procession. For most, the
main attraction is watching a demonstration of Thai
elephants at work, and it certainly nice to see them away
from the streets of Bangkok for a change.
Cruise through the
picturesque klongs (canals) that run off the Chao Phraya
River and see a tranquil side to Bangkok. A long tailed
motorboat takes you by waterside temples and traditional
wooden stilted houses through an area where boat rather
than car is the favoured form of transportation. Kids
swim and wave whilst women wash and the occassional water
lizard scuttles by. Stop at a small floating market
before returning to the Chao Phraya and pass by the Royal
Barges and Grand Palace. Finally visit the Khmer style
Wat Arun - the Temple of Dawn - studded with thousands of
mosaics of glimmering Chinese porcelain. Its central
column stands an imposing 282 feet high and a panoramic
vista of the river can be had by those with the energy to
climb it.
Bangkoks landmark monument - the traditional home of
the Kings of Siam - also contains the most sacred temple
in Thailand - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The
palace dates from 1782 and can best be described as a
walled city covering an area of over a square mile. It
contains a number of buildings that are considered to be
amongst the finest examples of Thai architecture and a
range of stunning artifacts, notably the gorgeous gold
throne in the Amarin Vinichai Hall. The temple dates from
1785 and is recognised as being the most ornate in the
kingdom. It constitutes a collection of chapels, halls
and pavilions famed for its bronze and gold murals,
images and statues, and renowned for its overall quality
of workmanship.Carved from a single piece of jade and
thirty one inches high, the Emerald Buddha sits on a
magnificent altar in the central chapel. It is perhaps
the the most revered image in Thailand.
Possibly Thailands most
photogenic site. Travel by car through rice paddies some
65 miles to the maze of klongs at Damnoen Saduak. Here a
small boat sails you through the colourful chaos of
Thailands largest floating market, giving you the chance
to haggle with the many vendors and experience an
authentic slice of everyday canal life. En route stop at
a coconut farm to see trained monkeys at work, and visit
the Royal Handicraft Center with its displays of
traditonal crafts and arts such as silk weaving and
celadon pottery. Relax for lunch at the Crocodile Farm
where there's an option to see the crocodile wrestling,
feeding acts.
After sailing through the
floating market (see above) visit the beautifully
landscaped Rose Garden complex. The main attraction is
not the rosebushes - dug up some time ago - but a
replication of a Thai village which stages a vibrant
cultural show displaying varied Thai lifestyles. Enjoy a
range of performances from hilltribe dancing to Thai
boxing, from traditional wedding ceremonies to a
colourful Buddhist ordination procession. For most, the
main attraction is watching a demonstration of Thai
elephants at work, and it certainly nice to see them away
from the streets of Bangkok for a change.